Xavier again has 37 on GCAC Commissioner's Honor Roll

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NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, led by fourth-time recipients Jodi Hill and Franziska Pirkl, has 37 members on the 2015-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll.
     
It's the second consecutive year that XU produced 37 for this honor. Student-athletes qualified with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher over both semesters.
     
Hill and Pirkl, both of whom graduated from Xavier in May, are among eight from the women's volleyball program to make the GCAC list. Women's track and field/cross country led Xavier with nine honorees.
     
Third-time GCAC honorees from Xavier are Alesha Smith (women's basketball), Terri Cunningham (women's track), Taylor Reuther (women's volleyball), Adam Albrecht (men's tennis), Jarvis Thibodeaux (men's basketball) and Brent Kitto (men's track/cross country). Freshman Brianna Pace (women's track/cross country) maintained a 4.0 GPA for both semesters.
     
"Congratulations to our student-athletes who made the GCAC Commissioner's Honor Roll," said XU Director of Athletics and Recreation Jason Horn. "We are proud of their accomplishments and their continued commitment to excel in the classroom and in their sports."
     
Xavier's list of honorees:

Name	Sport	Year	Hometown (High School)
Jarvis Thibodeaux	Men's Basketball	Senior	Houston, Texas (St. Pius X)
Wesley Pluviose-Philip	Men's Basketball	Junior	Albany, N.Y. (Albany)
Mikayla Bates	Women's Basketball	Freshman	Baton Rouge, La. (University)
Jasmine Bush	Women's Basketball	Sophomore	Meridian, Miss. (Southeast Lauderdale)
Emoni Harvey	Women's Basketball	Senior	Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian)
Donyeah Mayfield	Women's Basketball	Senior	Vicksburg, Miss. (Vicksburg)
Kelsee Singleton	Women's Basketball	Junior	New Orleans, La. (Karr)
Alesha Smith	Women's Basketball	Senior	Athens, Ga. (Clarke Central)
Adam Albrecht	Men's Tennis	Junior	Ladna, Czech Republic (Gymnasium Breclav)
Manav Chakma	Men's Tennis	Senior	Agartala, India (Kendriya Vidyalaya Maligaon)
Kevin Chaouat	Men's Tennis	Senior	Sarcelles, France (home-schooled)
Tushar Mandlekar	Men's Tennis	Junior	Bhilai, India (Deepak Nagar)
Karan Salwan	Men's Tennis	Junior	New Delhi, India (Modern School)
Sha'Nel Bruins	Women's Tennis	Junior	Colfax, La. (Grant)
Tess Guarino	Women's Tennis	Freshman	Billere, France (home-schooled)
Jana van der Walt	Women's Tennis	Senior	Houston, Texas (de Aar)
Keairez Coleman	Men's Track and Field	Freshman	Harrisville, Miss. (Mendenhall)
Ethan Gipson	Men's Track and Field	Freshman	Memphis, Tenn. (Houston)
Erwin Simmons	Men's Track and Field	Sophomore	St. James, La. (St. James)
Brent Kitto	Men's Track and Field / Cross Country	Senior	Chalmette, La. (Holy Cross)
Zahri Jackson	Women's Cross Country	Senior	Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood Park)
Drew Chatters	Women's Track and Field	Sophomore	Lake Charles, La. (St. Louis Catholic)
Terri Cunningham	Women's Track and Field	Junior	Nashville, Tenn. (Martin Luther King Magnet)
Dorian Hill	Women's Track and Field	Freshman	Jackson, Miss. (Murrah)
Janelle Jones	Women's Track and Field	Freshman	Baton Rouge, La. (Episcopal)
Katelyn McMorris	Women's Track and Field	Junior	Baton Rouge, La. (Christian Life Academy)
Maliya Vaughan	Women's Track and Field	Freshman	Elk Grove, Calif. (West Campus)
Clarke Allen	Women's Track and Field / Cross Country	Sophomore	Mendenhall, Miss. (Mendenhall)
Brianna Pace	Women's Track and Field / Cross Country	Freshman	Junction City, Kan. (Junction City)
Claudia Haywood	Women's Volleyball	Senior	Memphis, Tenn. (Cordova)
Jodi Hill	Women's Volleyball	Senior	Prairieville, La. (Dutchtown)
Kayla Jones	Women's Volleyball	Sophomore	Kansas City, Kan. (Piper)
Franziska Pirkl	Women's Volleyball	Senior	Munich, Germany (Theodolinden Gymnasium)
Taylor Reuther	Women's Volleyball	Senior	Metairie, La. (Dominican)
Kaelan Temple	Women's Volleyball	Sophomore	Houston, Texas (Lamar)
CeCe Williams	Women's Volleyball	Senior	Houma, La. (Vandebilt Catholic)
Aliyah Wilson	Women's Volleyball	Sophomore	Florissant, Mo. (Crossroads College Prep)

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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MEAC, SWAC football schedules feature several matches on ESPN networks

Games will highlight traditional and emerging rivalries

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) have released their 2016 TV schedules for football season.

The MEAC schedule features eight regular-season matchups set to be on ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN Classic and ESPN3. The schedule begins with the 12th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge, featuring Bethune-Cookman University vs. Alcorn State University on Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN.

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge will be played in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is also known as the Battle of the Beach. The Sept. 4 game will kick off a new era in the SWAC for Alcorn State football coach Fred McNair, who was hired in February. That same day at 5 p.m. CST on ESPNU, Texas Southern University will help conference rival Prairie View A&M University break in its new football stadium with the Labor Day Classic. The 2016 SWAC schedule includes 14 contests across six networks. Eight of the 10 member institutions will either be featured on ABC, ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN3, the SEC Network or NBC Sports Network.

“We are excited about the 2016 football television schedule that offers our fans many ways to stay tuned into their favorite MEAC football team,” said MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas. “Our partnership with ESPN continues to showcase our talented student-athletes, coaches and institutions through multiple ESPN platforms and further illustrates this tremendous partnership we have built over the years with the worldwide leader in sports.”

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Meet The Coach: Quadrian BankIs

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – For Quadrian Banks, good thing football is a fall sport.

Or else that would interfere with Banks’ Sunday night plans this time of year.

Banks, a performance and conditioning analyst for the Colts, came to Indy after three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Get to know new Performance and Conditioning Analyst Quadrian Banks:

Describe your journey to Indianapolis

“I was at the University of Texas as a student assistant in the weight room, kind of an intern/graduate assistant type of deal as a student. I went to grad school at Prairie View A&M, which is a SWAC school in Houston, Texas. From Prairie View I went to Velocity Sports Performance in Florida. That’s where I got a lot of the speed and agility/movement techniques that we kind of use here. From Velocity, my first collegiate full-time position was Hampton University. I was an assistant performance coach there. That’s where I coached Kendall Langford. I was there for the offseason program. Then I went to the University of Richmond, which was not too far away. I trained those guys for a year and a half. From Richmond, I went to Ole Miss University, worked for Houston Nutt. That was a great stop down in the SEC. Then from Ole Miss, I did a little personal training. Then I went to Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. From Gardner-Webb, I went to the Philadelphia Eagles for the last three seasons.”

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Kentucky State Thorobred football unveils its 2016 schedule

Kentucky State University 2016 Football Schedule

September 3 Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC
10 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
17 Virginia State University Frankfort, KY
24 Central State University Indianapolis, IN
Circle City Classic

October 1 Valdosta State University Waycross, GA
8 Ft. Valley State University Ft. Valley, GA
15 Miles College Frankfort, KY
Homecoming
22 Tuskegee University Tuskegee, AL
29 Lane College Frankfort, KY

November 5 Benedict College Frankfort, KY

Season Ticket Prices
Reserved Seating $75 / General Admission -- $65
To purchase season tickets or for more ticket information: Contact Athletics at (502) 597-6011
Or Kim.Harriford@kysu.edu




COURTESY KEN TUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

KSU mourns the loss of Thorobred football player Josh Williams

JOSHUA WILLIAMS

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Kentucky State University mourns the loss of Thorobred football player Josh Williams, who died Tuesday during a shooting in Inglewood, Califorinia.  He was 24.

The Inglewood resident was known for his hard-hitting style and played at KSU in 2014-2015. KSU's Athletics Department and the University are deeply saddened by this news and send heartfelt condolences to his family.

"KSU Athletics is deeply saddened by the loss of one of its own," said Director of Athletics William Head. "Another senseless act of violence silences a potential voice of leadership. In All ThinCOgs Excellence. Thorobred down."

The Athletics Department will provide more information as soon as possible.

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MSU's Ed Davis Named Interim Coach For Women’s Basketball

Ed Davis Jr.

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Morgan State University (MSU) Athletic Director Floyd Kerr today announced the appointment of Edward Davis Jr. as interim head coach of MSU's women's basketball team.

"It has always been about our student-athletes and the program at Morgan State," said Kerr, "and that is why I made this selection. I have the utmost confidence in Coach Davis because of what he has been able to accomplish with his past teams."

Davis has for two years been the assistant coach at Morgan and served as the former head women's basketball coach at Delaware State University for 12 seasons. While at Delaware State, he led the team to its most successful run in the history of the program. He concluded his career there as the program's winningest coach with an overall record of 178-182 (.494), including a 121-85 (.587) Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) record. He also coached for eight years at Bowie State University.

Davis succeeds Coach Donald Beasley, who had been head coach of the Lady Bears basketball team since 2005. In his 11 seasons at MSU, Beasley became the coach with the most wins in the history of the women's program.

"We are extremely grateful to Coach Beasley for what he has been able to achieve with our program. He is our most successful women's basketball coach and he leaves with our gratitude and best wishes," added Kerr.

Beasley leaves the program effective July 1, 2016 to take another assignment at the University.

For more information about today's announcement, contact Floyd Kerr, director of Athletics at Morgan State University, at 443-885-3575. For more information on MSU Athletics, please visit www.morganstatebears.com.

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

‘Love somebody’ is message at funeral for FAMU grad

MELBOURNE, Florida -- Love served as the theme during the celebration of a life lost in an act of hatred.

Friends, family, co-workers and clergy challenged about 1,000 mourners filling the sanctuary of New Shiloh Christian Center in Melbourne to emulate Antonio Davon Brown and show love for one another.

“My brother was a genuine person,” said James Hickey, older brother of the 30-year-old Brown, who was among 49 people killed June 12 when a gunman opened fire in an Orlando nightclub. “He had a kind heart, and a loving soul, and he never met a stranger.”

Like others who spoke at the service, Hickey described Brown, who grew up in Port St. John, as having a bold sense of humor and a joy for living.



“It’s always sad to say goodbye,” he said, “but his legacy will live forever.”

Then he proffered a challenge: “To honor my brother, love somebody. Because that’s what he did.”

Before the service, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, accompanied by Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, met privately with Brown’s mother, Rosetta Evans, and other members of Brown’s immediate family.

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